The summer of our Belonging
by weareyourheroes
Summary: She was his best friend, he was the love of her life. One summer will bring two great friends together for sure, but obstacles get in the way and it seems almost impossible to be anything but friends. Will they come together? R


**The summer of our Belonging**

**Author: **Chicky Babe No. 1

**a/n: **This is a retake from my previous story 'Summer of Love' which will NOT be deleted. This one is new and 100% improved. I would really, really appreciate it if flames could be avoided. Concrit is welcome, though.

**Summary: **She was his best friend...he was the love of her life. One summer will bring two great friends together for sure, but obstacles get in the way and it seems almost impossible to be anything but friends. Will they come together? Read and review, but most importantly ENJOY!!!

Flashback is in italics btw.

**Chapter One: **Sugar, we're going down

"It's gonna be alright, Hedwig. I know a long time but you'll have fun at the Weasleys with Errol and Hermes and Pig..." Harry trailed off at the look from his beautiful, snowy owl Hedwig. Her fierce amber eyes glowed with anger because her faithful companion was leaving her for the entire summer.

Harry sighed and made his way over to his unmade bed. His trunk was sitting open on it, all his Hogwarts stuff piled messily in it; his trusty wand was jutting out on top. Harry decided to put it in the back pocket of his jeans for safe-keeping.

The day they got back to the Muggle world from their sixth year of Hogwarts was one of the most awkward days of Harry's life. But it was also the day that would change his life for the greater good...he just didn't know it yet.

"_Ok, I'm pretty sure the Dursleys should be here by now," Harry couldn't help but stare around King's Cross station worriedly. Usually his aunt, uncle and cousin would already he there waiting for him but there was no sight of them anywhere._

"_Don't worry, mate," Ron clapped his best friend on the back, the way guy's do. "They'll be here. Me and Hermione will wait with you." _

_Harry looked around for his best female friend. Hermione was standing a little bit off to the side with Ron's little sister, Ginny, chatting animatedly to each other, but every now and then Hermione would throw quick glances in Harry's direction. She was biting her lip and wringing her hands together like she was trying to work up the courage to do something important. _

"_So, you gonna come around to my house this summer? You're gonna have to anyway, Bill and Fleur's wedding, remember?"_

_Harry nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't miss there. I'll be there, mate." _

"_They'll probably send you an invitation by owl soon-"_

"_Um, excuse me, Harry? Can I talk to you for a bit?" Hermione interrupted in a soft voice. Harry and Ron exchanged a surprised glance. Ron widened his eyes as if to say, 'Go on, but tell me what she says.' Harry nodded slightly for 'Got it,' and followed Hermione to a deserted corner of the station. _

"_What's up?" he asked curiously. Hermione's brown eyes wondered around the station like she was searching for something or someone. Finally, they landed on Harry's puzzled face._

"_Forget it," she sighed. She started to walk away but Harry grabbed her arm._

"_No, tell me." _

_She shrugged him off. "No, you'll think it's stupid." _

"_Come, on tell me." _

"_No." _

"_Tell me." _

"_No." _

"_Tell-me!"_

"_N-O!" _

"_Then what was the point of asking? Come on, Hermione, I won't laugh, whatever it is. Just tell me. You're my friend. My best friend. You can tell me anything, you know that..."_

_Hermione kept her head down. "Yeah, I know that...It's just that I wanted to ask you something."_

"_Ask away!" Harry replied as patiently as he could._

"_?" she spat out so fast that Harry didn't understand a single word._

"_Um, could you say that again more slowly please?" He asked._

_She started to look uncomfortable. "Would you like to spend the summer at my house?" She whispered so quietly he thought she had lost her voice._

"_Hermione, I can't hear you, just tell me-"_

"_WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEND THE SUMMER AT MY HOUSE?!" She yelled. This time he heard him, loud and clear. In fact, a lot of passers-by heard her loud and clear._

_Harry looked taken aback. "Oh." _

_Hermione shook her head. "I knew I shouldn't have asked." _

"_No, no, no, I'm glad you did. It's just that...I don't know...I've never spent the summer at your house before, let alone be there at all. Will your parents let a boy spend the summer at your house?" _

_Was he considering it? It was hard to tell, his face still remained slightly confused._

"_I've already asked and they said it was ok. They trust me and they know your situation with the Dursleys...and I just thought that it would be nice if we could spend more time together..." she broke off awkwardly._

"_What about Ron?" _

_Hermione's eyes widened like a startled deer caught in headlights. "I hadn't thought about Ron." _

_Harry raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think of Ron? Isn't he your best friend too?" _

_Hermione chuckled once. "Maybe we should just leave Ron out of this one?" She whispered, almost seductively..._But...Hermione isn't seductive, _Harry argued with the voice in his head._ She doesn't even know what seductive means. I do, but I'm a man...

_The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. Harry had never really spent a lot of quality time with Hermione before. He liked her lot but she wasn't as much fun as Ron was. Maybe she was different in the Muggle world? _

_He locked eyes with her. Her face was pleading, her eyes were tearing. What if she made them do homework together all summer? Would Ron get jealous? What about Ginny? _

"_Yeah, ok," he finally answered. He watched as her face lit up like a child who just unwrapped their Christmas presents. The look on her face said it all. He knew he had made the right decision._

"_Oh, Harry! We're going to have so much fun, I promise you!"_

_Harry couldn't remember the last time he had seen Hermione smile like that and he hoped that she would be doing that a lot this summer._

_The__"What did she want?" Ron asked when Harry had gotten back to him. Harry didn't know what to say. He was literally lost for words. "Well?"_

"_Um, she was-she was...she wanted to...ask-me if I could...um...spend the summer at her, uh, house..."_

"_...Oh..."_

"_Look, mate, if you don't want-"_

"_Is she going to ask me?" _

_Harry stared at the littered ground. "Erm...no...no she isn't...she just wants me to be there..."_

_Ron rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "O...k...um, so did you say yes? Are you going to go?"_

_Harry didn't want to have this conversation. It was making him squirm and his face felt hot. He could see Ron's ears turning red already. _

"_Look, mate, you know that I don't think about her as anything more than a friend. She's just a friend, alright? She's just Hermione..."_

_Ron shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know...Well, um, have fun this summer...I'll write you, I guess." He started to walk away as his mother was waiting for him._

"_Ron, wait," Harry called. He had no comforting thing to say but didn't want to leave him like this. Ron turned reluctantly. "Um...I will...I will see you at the wedding."_

_Ron nodded curtly, turned and before Harry could even blink, he was gone._

"GET DOWN HERE, BOY!" A snarling voice echoed throughout the house. Harry was jerked out of his remembrance moment, suddenly.

"WHAT?" He yelled back, refusing to take orders from his uncle at age sixteen.

"THAT FREAKY GIRL IS HERE. HURRY UP; I DON'T WANT HER IN MY HOUSE!"

Harry rolled his eyes and shut his trunk. "COMING!"

He walked over to Hedwig, her head bowed sorrowfully. He stroked her beak. "Come on, girl, go to Ron's." She was reluctant but she still flew out of the open bedroom window. Harry stared after her sadly. He didn't want to leave Hedwig but he had no choice.

He grabbed his trunk, hurled it off his bed, and carried it down the stairs, across the kitchen and to the front door. He said a quick goodbye to his cousin Dudley, who had his piggy little eyes fixed on the television, waved to his aunt Petunia who was scrubbing the bench furiously in the kitchen and wrenched open the front door. She was waiting for his on the porch steps. He couldn't believe his eyes...

A/N: Okay, first chapter! It was slow, whatever, but please review, you know you want to! Next chapter will be up as soon as possible. Review.

Love,

Chicky Babe No. 1


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